The Six Oldest Products Apple Still Sells Today

[MacRumors]

Earlier this week, Apple confirmed it will release an all-new Mac Pro in 2019, as a bid of reassurance to its professional customers who have waited over four years for the company's high-end workstation to be updated.

Apple still sells a handful of other major products that haven't been updated in between three and six years, however, and unlike the Mac Pro, it has remained silent about any future updates. We've outlined those products below.

AirPort Extreme

Days Since Last Major Release: June 10, 2013 / 1,758 days ago

Apple hasn't refreshed its lineup of AirPort base stations in around five to six years. The high-end AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule, which is an Extreme coupled with up to 3TB of internal storage, were last updated at WWDC 2013. The smaller AirPort Express hasn't been updated since June 2012--it still has old 802.11n Wi-Fi.

In November 2016, Bloomberg News reported that Apple ceased development of its AirPort products. In January 2018, Apple began selling the Linksys Velop mesh Wi-Fi system, but noted that "people love our AirPort products and we continue to sell them." The company hasn't commented on its AirPort products since.

Mac Pro

Days Since Last Major Release: December 18, 2013 / 1,569 days ago

The current Mac Pro was previewed at WWDC 2013, when Apple's marketing chief Phil Schiller famously quipped "can't innovate anymore, my ass!" The professional desktop became available to order in December 2013, and hasn't been updated since, beyond receiving a price cut across the line in April 2017.

Apple this week confirmed that it will release an all-new Mac Pro with a modular design in 2019. The computer will be influenced by Apple's new Pro Workflow Team, consisting of creative professionals who are experienced in areas such as visual effects, video editing, 3D animation, and music production.

Mac mini

Days Since Last Major Release: October 16, 2014 / 1,268 days ago

It's been three-and-a-half years since the Mac mini was last updated as of next week. The portable desktop is still powered by Intel's outdated fourth-generation Core processors, despite the fact that we're on the eighth generation now. It also has Thunderbolt 2 ports, nearly three years after Intel announced Thunderbolt 3.

Apple has twice said the Mac mini remains an "important" part of its product lineup, but unlike the Mac Pro, it hasn't provided a timeline for any future updates. While there has been some speculation that the Mac mini could play a role in Apple's modular Mac Pro system, the fate of the machine remains unclear.

MacBook Air

Days Since Last Major Release: March 9, 2015 / 1,124 days ago

While the base model MacBook Air was updated with a slightly faster 1.8GHz processor in June 2017, the notebook hasn't received a significant update in over three years and counting. The latest MacBook Air is powered by Intel's fifth-generation Core processors--again, we're at eight now--and still lacks a Retina display.

The prevailing assumption has long been that once Apple could manage to sell the 12-inch MacBook for $999, that it would replace the MacBook Air. That has yet to happen, however, and now there's rumors suggesting that a new and possibly even cheaper MacBook Air will be released at some point this year.

iPod touch

Days Since Last Major Release: July 15, 2015 / 996 days ago

Once updated on an annual basis like the iPhone, the iPod touch hasn't been refreshed in nearly three years. The portable media player is powered by an Apple A8 chip, which was already around 10 months old at the time, and it has an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and up to 128GB of storage.

At this point, the iPod touch is a niche product at Apple. It's also the only remaining iPod available to purchase, after Apple discontinued the iPod nano and iPod shuffle last year. However, considering the iPod touch is a gateway product to the iPhone, it's certainly possible it will eventually be updated.

iPad mini

Days Since Last Major Release: September 9, 2015 / 940 days ago

Apple introduced the iPad mini 4 at its "Hey Siri" event in September 2015, and hasn't updated it since, beyond adjusting storage and pricing in 2016 and again in 2017. Like the latest iPod touch, the tablet is powered by an Apple A8 chip and has up to 128GB of storage, the sole capacity currently sold.

Like many other products on this list, the fate of the iPad mini is unclear. One possibility is that it will be discontinued once the new 9.7-inch iPad gets slimmer bezels, which would make it closer in overall size to the 7.9-inch iPad mini. The new iPad also has a much faster A10 Fusion chip and Apple Pencil support.

Article Link: The Six Oldest Products Apple Still Sells Today

 

[zahuh]

So funny how when Phil announced the Mac Pro he said “can’t innovate my ass.” Took 5 years for their egos to admit they failed and since SJ isn’t there, they need “market research” instead of a visionary mind to figure out what to do.

 

[Dilster3k]

Do you know what they all have in common? The death of Steve Jobs.

Hate to keep kicking a dead horse. But there is a universe of a difference if you compare the innovation between 2003 to 2008 and 2013 to 2018 (not including 2012 because those were likely supervised under him). Why could they deliver on time and pull off the balancing act back then?

 

[jacobh101]

IMO all are still relevant and all sell fairly well for not being refreshed.

 

[Andres Cantu]

At the very least, most of those have received price cuts and/or storage upgrades. But the Mac mini? It's a sin that they never upgraded it to have a fusion drive or 8GB of RAM standard.

 

[jent]

This is embarrassing. Apple is a great company, and frankly they should be able to provide minor spec bump updates before a major upgrade (not waiting five to six years between them), lower the price as the product line ages significantly, kill off a line so as not to send false signals that it's here to stay, or at least keep the status quo but inform their customers that they'll eventually be phased out. But this current reality of having entire product lines that are five and six years old without even a minor update to increase processor speed, RAM, or hard drive--or a reduction in price, is sad.

 

[44267547]

Even though some of these products are dated, there still a strong demographic that uses these products that appreciates them, which I have to say the iPad mini is still highly favored given that it’s being neglected in a sense of where the iPads have substantially grow larger.

I would say the one product that makes me think of Steve Jobs era, would have to be the iPod, just from where it first started where it is today, but ultimately being consumed by the iPhone.

 

[xpxp2002]

Do you know what they all have in common? The death of Steve Jobs.

Hate to keep kicking a dead horse. But there is a universe of a difference if you compare the innovation between 2003 to 2008 and 2013 to 2018 (not including 2012 because those were likely supervised under him). Why could do they deliver on time and pull off the balancing act back then?

Also because they weren’t making and supporting 14 different SKUs of every product line.

Jobs always believed in one iPhone. This Plus model, the whole 8 vs X being in the same release cycle, and even the myriad of older models still being sold have spread Apple way too thin.

Instead of three more phones this year, Apple should dump two of them and make one successor to the X. Dump the iPhone 6s and 7; and only continue to sell the SE, 8, X, and one current model. Even that is a lot because each one has 2-3 storage SKUs and multiple colors, but it’s still better than the enormous mess of a product lineup they have now.

 

[jacobh101]

Even though some of these products are dated, there still a strong demographic that uses these products that appreciates them, which I have to say the iPad mini is still highly favored given that it’s being neglected in a sense of where the iPads have substantially grow larger.

I would say the one product that makes me think of Steve Jobs era, would have to be the iPod, just from where it first started where it is today, but ultimately being consumed by the iPhone.

iPad Mini's are sold in significant quantities to med schools and hospital organizations. They fit perfectly inside a Dr's lab coat. Nearsighted Macrumors comments will not detract from the significance of this product in the enterprise.

 

[camnchar]

I have a deep love for 3 of those products: the Time Capsule, the Mac Mini, and the iPad Mini. I've moved on from all 3 because Apple just doesn't care about the segments any more.

Or I guess I should say Apple has moved on from me.

 

[555gallardo]

IMO all are still relevant and all sell fairly well for not being refreshed.

Except the Mac mini, which is actually worse than its predecessor. The older one could still be upgradeable (RAM and storage) when needed. Which is something a friend of mine did recently.

 

[nylonsteel]

My mac mini is running great after years of daily use
It's the one with the so called "fusion drive"
No hardware issues to speak of
I would buy a new one if AAPL ever puts one out

 

[44267547]

Nearsighted Macrumors comments will not detract from the significance of this product in the enterprise.

Partially because the iPad mini is highly favored and there are those who want to see Apple upgrade this because of they value overall size of the mini, which some find the 10.5/12.9 iPad substantially larger and more than what they need. I Understand those who are frustrated that want to see the mini upgraded, because it still has a very high popularity, even though it has not been updated since fall of 2015.

 

[Bryan Bowler]

So funny how when Phil announced the Mac Pro he is “can’t innovate my ass.” Took 5 years for their egos to admit they failed and since SJ isn’t there, they need “market research” instead of a visionary mind to figure out what to do.

Do you know what they all have in common? The death of Steve Jobs.

Hate to keep kicking a dead horse. But there is a universe of a difference if you compare the innovation between 2003 to 2008 and 2013 to 2018 (not including 2012 because those were likely supervised under him). Why could do they deliver on time and pull off the balancing act back then?

Totally agree. The change is apparent to me, although I know others will disagree.

Apple has more money to spend than any other company in the world. Yet, they can't churn out new Macs on a regular basis or even a semi-regular basis. Nor can they release a quality update for their MacOS. It is apparent that Apple has become a mobile phone company more than anything else, and they place the majority of their time and attention on iOS, animojis, and things of that nature. And then every 3 to 6 years they say "Oh yeah, we better try to update our Mac hardware..."

 

[Ds6778]

Well when you can charge 1149$ for a phone that cost 300$.....IOS and Apple Watches are their bread and butter.

 

[CWallace]

Do you know what they all have in common? The death of Steve Jobs. Hate to keep kicking a dead horse. But there is a universe of a difference if you compare the innovation between 2003 to 2008 and 2013 to 2018 (not including 2012 because those were likely supervised under him). Why could do they deliver on time and pull off the balancing act back then?

I don't think it is a lack of innovation - after all, most of the people under Steve are still at Apple in the same positions. I believe it is more that Tim still thinks like a COO when it comes to product than he does a CEO. So whereas Steve would eventually say "just kill this technology" or "kill this product", Tim will not if it is still selling.

So as long as people keep buying iPod Touches and iPad Minis along with Mac Minis and iMacs with HDDs, Tim will keep selling them even whereas Steve likely would have killed the iPad Mini and the iPod Touch and mandated all iMacs and Minis have a Fusion drive at minimum.

 

[vipergts2207]

We need a new Time Capsule. These things should be offered with SSD’s and USB-C/TB3 at this point.

 

[rtomyj]

So funny how when Phil announced the Mac Pro he is “can’t innovate my ass.” Took 5 years for their egos to admit they failed and since SJ isn’t there, they need “market research” instead of a visionary mind to figure out what to do.

When did they admit they were wrong?

Ok so here’s reasoning from a programmer.:
Computers are in a weird place. Programmers don’t need much processing power anymore. If big data (not the buzz word just literally big data) is involved, use a server. Regular consumers don’t need fast processing power for email and web. Two very VERY small groups need processing power: video makers and people using a Mac as a server (not counting gamers since they’re not on our platform). Apple is at the mercy of intels slow release cycle. Graphics chips are expensive due to miners. Also, have there been new advances in graphics cards? Not my expertise but I bet it’s as slow as intels cycle. SSD’s and RAM are all basically the same now (newer generations) in terms of speed. Sure some gains here some there but not enough for most people. The gains Apple gets from generation to generation are not enough for some users.

PC’s are slowing down since hardware has slowed down. We need innovations in hardware. If quantum computing takes off there will be lots of new and exciting things. Right now there isn’t.

 

[seanmcbay]

Do you know what they all have in common? The death of Steve Jobs.

Hate to keep kicking a dead horse. But there is a universe of a difference if you compare the innovation between 2003 to 2008 and 2013 to 2018 (not including 2012 because those were likely supervised under him). Why could do they deliver on time and pull off the balancing act back then?

Jobs didn’t do anything. All he did was yell at people to complete their work. Give me a break.

 

[Kognito]

The poor Mac mini. It wouldn't be so bad if Apple hadn't have neutered it with the 2014 model.

 

[blairh]

One possibility is that it will be discontinued once the new 9.7-inch iPad gets slimmer bezels, which would make it closer in overall size to the 7.9-inch iPad mini.

I always envision a future iPad Mini with no bezels, same footprint. Not an 9.7" iPad with no bezels, smaller footprint.

 

[just.jon]

I expect the iPad Mini 4 to get updates and remain viable for my needs until at least Fall 2020, but I would really like an updated version before then. If an iPad Mini 5 with pencil support were released today, I would buy one for each person in my household.

 

[macduke]

Predictions:

• They'll kill the AirPorts when 802.11ax starts becoming widely available unless they have some hidden play in the mesh WiFi space (was hoping HomePod would include that)
• Mac Pro will start at least $1000 higher. Don't even ask about the 6K 31.5" Thunderbolt Display price.
• Mac Mini will get a spec bump sometime in the next year that will piss most people off
• MacBook Air will just become the MacBook, likely meeting in the middle: 13" like the Air, reduced bezels, retina display, and more ports than the current MacBook. It will also be more expensive.
• iPod Touch will be killed off by September 2019
• The iPad Mini and 9.7" iPad will be consolidated into one device that is 8.5" at the same 2224x1668 resolution as 10.5" iPad Pro. This keeps the PPI the same as the old Mini, with a footprint only slightly larger with reduced bezels. This better spaces out the sizes of the three iPad models.

 

[urbanslaughter1997]

stopped using my AirPort when I purchased a Google WiFi Mesh system. Hate to say this, but it just works.

 

[haydn!]

Some of these are still perfectly useful. The only real problem here is that they charge the same prices today as they did at launch and in some regions, more!